Eliot Kamenitz, The Times-PicayuneThe Jefferson Parish Performing Arts Center, under construction in this June picture, is involved in a lawsuit between the parish and the original architect.

With construction of the performing arts center on Airline Drive near Zephyr Field running a year behind schedule and $10 million over budget, Jefferson Parish has sued the project's original architect, alleging that numerous fundamental flaws in the design are the source of the complications and costs.
The lawsuit lists problems including a lack of space in the plans for ductwork, a lack of directions on where to place air conditioning equipment and a lack of support for stairs.

Under the plans, it says, beams stood off the foundation, roof slopes required additional drainage work, prescribed exterior wall panels ceased being available from manufacturers, stair and ramp widths required the addition of center handrails, and plumbing lines conflicted with walls and beams.

Shortcomings in the drawings, the lawsuit alleges, have forced additional design work to fill in details on the installation of concrete forms, window walls, catwalks, ladders and other stage components, among other vexing issues strewn throughout the theater.

"The architectural details and dimensions were either unclear or non-existent," said the lawsuit, which the parish filed last month.

Jefferson Parish Attorney Tom Wilkinson said the parish is seeking a $1 million settlement from an errors and omissions insurance policy covering the architect, Marcel Wisznia.

"We found the original drawings to be flawed," Wilkinson said. "We had to hire a different architect."

"It's been nothing but problems," Wilkinson said. "It's a tangled web of steel at the moment."

Wisznia said he is assembling his legal response and would not comment further. In the past, Wisznia has defended his work as being thorough and thoughtful and questioned why the parish was having problems with the arts center.

"We will have public comment in due time," Wisznia said this week.

The Jefferson Parish Council has approved five change orders since construction began in February 2007, costing $10.2 million and raising the overall price of the center by 38 percent, to $36.8 million.

Wilkinson acknowledged that Wisznia's $1 million insurance policy falls far short of covering that amount, but said it is enough to be worth pursuing.

"It's small in comparison to the change orders," Wilkinson said about the policy. "But it's better than letting Wisznia off the hook."

At one time, officials planned to open the center in early 2009. They have pushed opening night into late 2010.

.......Mark Waller may be reached at mwaller@timespicayune.com or 504.883.7056.